What a kiss can mean Sirius and Hermione
by xxGabriellexx
Summary: After Sirius' return from beyond the veil, he finds himself spending more and more time with Hermione until he can deny his feelings no longer......
1. The desicion

"Hermione! Hermione c'mon, join in!" Mr Weasley shouted across the other side of the room to her. Hermione smiled and shook her head yet urging them to go on. All of them were at 12 Grimmuald place. Her, Harry all the Weasley's, most of what was left of the order and last of all, Sirius.

Hermione had never seen so many smiling faces; everyone was out of their chairs, dancing, throwing balloons and party poppers. Mr Weasley was currently trying to 'pin-the-tail-on-the-griffin' blindfolded and Harry was up rock and rolling with Ginny. There was only a few still sitting and each with their different reasons, Mungundus Fletcher because he was too drunk to getup, her, and Sirius.

This was a double celebration; Sirius had not been able to fully celebrate his return since his arrived back so long ago. But now Voldermort was out of the picture, the celebrations could last all year if they needed!

Hermione glanced up at Harry's laughing red face, he had just twirled Ginny around and as the song was ending, he was retreating back to his seat near Sirius, which was about two metres away from her own.

Hermione had been wrestling with her emotions for too long now. Tonight was the night, the night where she would have to make the decision.

She glanced from Sirius' face, back to Harry's. What she had to tell Harry would make him hate her. She would wipe away all his happy emotions he had been sporting since Sirius' return and instead sweep back to his former state of which she did not like to look back upon.

Harry got up and left his seat to resume his dancing, Hermione slid her gaze back to Sirius. Sirius seemed to involuntarily flicker his eyes upwards so that his and hers met. His eyes did not seem so sad now; Hermione thought to herself, they were so familiar now. Hermione's mind automatically flashed the images of those eyes from so many times before. She remembered them from the numerous times she had been close to him, feeling his intent gaze upon her, loving, adoring.

Not for the first time that evening she pushed these thoughts out of her head, to think she had to have a clear mind.

Sirius did not have to acknowledge her, instead they just stared. Across this room they went unnoticed, both thinking the unspoken.

As though she had been splashed with cold water Hermione suddenly broke the eye- contact and looked away. She need to think, needed to reflect.

She could not ruin Harry's happiness, she couldn't! Yet could she sacrifice her own, and Sirius' to save it?


	2. The return

Walking through the doors of 12 Grimuald place, Hermione and Sirius had never looked more of a state. Hermione had a huge gash in her right leg, staining her calf's red. Sirius was firmly holding her arms over his head, helping her to limp inside. He himself was sporting a black eye and what looked like a severely broken arm. They were both covered in bruises and cuts from top to toe, their clothes ripped and blood-stained.  
Harry and Ron both rushed to the door at the sound of it opening. In amazement they stared, Harry barely believing his eyes as his godfather stood barely five feet in front of him. The silence echoed through them like a drum beat. The heavy seconds crawled by like decades. Surrealism surrounded them all; Harry had been waiting for this moment ever since Hermione's departure, and now he was moments away from his godfather. He could take four simple steps and reach out and touch him.  
Sirius's face was full of exhaustion, his actions seemed to take forever, he leant on, and then slid down the hallway wall, bringing Hermione down with him. Her seemingly lifeless body slumped down with Sirius'.  
Ron was the first to move; he ran over to them, crouched to their level and tried to speak,  
"Hermione? Hermione!" He cried, shaking her shoulder in desperation. She stirred, looked at Ron but said nothing, then turned to Sirius,  
He turned his head painfully toward her but spoke with compassion,  
"It's ok Hermione, its all alright now." There was something about his voice that was incredibly soothing to the ear.  
Ron jumped up,  
"I'll phone 'Mungo's'!" He said, more to himself than anyone else, and rushed into the kitchen.  
Harry was still staring at Sirius, having not moved from the spot he was glued to.  
He shook his head, not daring to believe the truth. He did not blink in fear of blinking them away, he stared, his eyes watering, unable to do anything. His mind was not functioning, he seemed disabled to put one foot in front of the other and walk over to them.  
Suddenly, the figure of Dumbledore apparated from nowhere holding a glowing pumpkin. Standing in front of Harry he spoke,  
"This is no time for your first reconciliation Harry. They are delirious, they need rest. You must wait just one moment longer to see your godfather."  
With this he turned to the couple of battered people, placed one of each of their hands onto the pumpkin, and disappeared with the portkey into the unknown.


	3. Back Home

Hermione felt consciousness sweep over her; the first thing she felt was the lack of pain. She couldn't put her finger on it in her sleepy-state, but she knew this was the most comfortable she had been in weeks. She flickered her eyes open so that they were met with the scene of a large, lilac room with white Muslim curtains. The room felt cosy, she looked down and saw that she was lying in a bed with a thick duvet cover over her. There was an empty bed against the side adjacent to hers and a door on the wall opposite and another door on the remaining wall.  
Hermione brought her hand from under cover up to her face, it was clean! She couldn't feel a trace of blood. Her hair was still knotted, but felt cleaner than before as she ran her hand through it. She decided to try and step out of bed, she pulled the duvet cover back to realise she was wearing lilac baggy pajamas. Smiling to herself she wondered over to the window, which was by the side of the other bed, and wrenched opened the curtains to expose floods of light, drenching the room in white.  
Suddenly, she heard the handle of a door go. She whizzed around and saw a man immersing from the one opposite her bed.  
"I thought you were never going to wake up, lazy bones." Sirius said, playfully chucking his towel he was just using to dry his hair at her.  
She caught it and smiled, Sirius had obviously just emerged from the shower, he had dark jeans on with no top, his dark hair was damp and fell about his face. His face was undeniably good-looking, his smile seemed to light up the world.  
"Sirius! What's happened? Where are we? Where's Harry, have you spoken to him? Are you alright, I remember your wounds!" All these anxieties suddenly burst out of Hermione all at once at the sight of Sirius, her good friend.  
"Hermione, "He said softly, "Its ok, we are at Grimauld place. I haven't spoken to Harry yet, I have not been downstairs, I wanted to wait for you. And I am fine; it seems that whilst we've been asleep they have healed our wounds for us too. Although I think that scratch might leave a pretty scar on your cheek there." He said, bringing his hand up to his own cheek to indicate where it was. Hermione felt it with her hand; she felt she had a deep on her cheek just in line with her cheekbone.  
"I feel like I've slept for days. We will go and see Harry soon, just let me have a shower and I will be right with you." she said nodding her head, understanding his need to see him. She walked up to the door Sirius was standing by, and as she walked past, Sirius reached out for her hand. He looked her in the eye and paused.  
"We made it Hermione. We are back home."


	4. Close bonds

Hermione smiled and retreated into the shower room. She was again pleasantly surprised to be greeted with a small light blue coloured room; it had a large mirror running all down on side above the sink. This wall was opposite a large, white, bath and shower. With a deep breath Hermione stepped in front of the mirror.  
Her eye's widened as she looked at herself, she had a deep cut in her cheek as Sirius had pointed out, and her neck seemed to have a large browny-purple bruise down one side of it. Her hair looked a mess, it was larger than ever and there were lots of large chunks of knots. Her eyes seemed to have darkened and she did not have much colour in her cheeks.  
"Nice." Hermione said about herself sarcastically as she got into the hot shower. She scrubbed as hard as she could and made sure every last piece of dirt was removed, many a time she scrubbed for an age at one spot of dirt only to realize it was yet another bruise. She had cuts and scratches all up her legs and was continuously wincing as she had accidentally got body wash in one. About twenty minutes and half a bottle of conditioner later, Hermione stepped out of the shower with hair she could actually run a brush through.  
Glancing in the mirror before she opened the door Hermione smiled to herself, her hair was wet yet it now fell heavily but without the dirty knots. Her face was clean and it, along with her lips seemed to have had a tinge of colour added to them.  
She walked from the shower room to find Sirius unpacking clothes from a suitcase into a wardrobe that Hermione was sure had not been there before.  
Sirius turned around to explain,  
"I apparated one he- Wow, Hermione, you look good."  
Sirius stated in shock as he looked at Hermione standing in her towel.  
She laughed,  
"You're awful Sirius! Now get into that shower room whilst I dress."  
Sirius smiled slightly, and tearing his eyes away from Hermione, put the clothes down he was holding and walked into the bathroom.


	5. Welcome home!

Hermione sorted through her suitcase, she found a familiar-looking blue strap top, then pulled out some three-quarter length jeans. After she had pulled them on she grabbed her purple zip up-jumper and slipped her slippers back on again. She managed to find a bobble hidden at the bottom of her suitcase and so quickly pushed her wet hair back into a messy bun.  
"I'm decent!" She called out to Sirius, and then neatly tucked in the edges of her duvet in her bed.  
She heard the door of the bathroom go and then a deep breath behind her, she turned around to see Sirius straightening the navy shirt he was wearing,   
"Is this alright?" He asked uneasily,  
"Sirius, you look fine-gorgeous in fact. Anyway Harry will not be bothered about what you look like after not seeing you in god-knows how long will he?"  
Sirius grinned at Hermione, and then playfully pulled her toward him by placing his arm round her shoulders, she instinctively put her arm round his waist as they faced the door,  
"You ready?" He asked her,  
"Are you?"  
"More than ready, let's go."  
Hermione smiled, and, arms round each other, the two went out to see Harry again.

The two of them creaked down the stairs, Hermione could hear slight mumblings coming from the kitchen/dining room, she looked to Sirius but he was already staring at the upcoming door.  
The two of them stood outside of the door, both contemplating what to do next. After a few minutes passed pf them both staring at the door, Sirius spoke up,  
"What are we waiting for?"  
He grabbed the door handle and pushed the door open.  
The room went silent.  
Inside was everyone, Mrs. Weasley stood at the kitchen assumably cooking breakfast for them all. Ron, Ginny, Harry, Lupin, Mr. Weasley, Fred and George were all sitting around the table, now staring in silence up at Sirius standing in the doorway.  
"Don't we get a 'hello'?"  
Harry jumped up off his seat and ran over to the doorway, as Sirius saw him coming he stretched his arms and embraced Harry tightly.  
Hermione smiled at Sirius' side as she looked upon them both. Mrs. Weasley's voice rang out,  
"Hermione dear! We've been so worried, Oh look at you! That scar, how did you do it? Oh come here!"  
She threw her arms about her and pressed Hermione so close against her Ron actually jumped up from the table in fear off Hermione suffocating. Harry was still placed against Sirius' chest and Hermione couldn't help but notice Sirius had his eyes closed. She now turned her attentions to Ron, who was standing up by the table staring at her. They looked at each other for a moment, Hermione smiled, half giggling at the sight of seeing him after so long. Ron smiled too, then, before she could help herself Hermione ran over and wrapped her arms around his neck so hard he actually fell back onto his chair. They both fell about laughing and when Hermione noticed a tear trickle down Ron's cheek she wondered if it were really _that_ funny.  
Hermione had no idea how many hugs she gave within the next ten minutes, everyone was laughing, mixed with tears of joy, (especially from Mrs. Weasley).  
Harry had finally retreated from his embrace with Sirius and had quickly bound up to Hermione. Lupin had seen Sirius and with a smile the two embraced,  
"I knew you'd come back to us Padfoot."


	6. Revealations

After a while Hermione ended up in a raptous conversation with Ginny, they were both sitting cross legged on the floor whilst the others involved themselves in conversations round Sirius.  
"Well you were up there so long I thought you were in a coma or something! I'm so glad you're safe." Ginny said smiling at Hermione.  
"Up where? In that room?"  
"Yeah, did you only wake up today? I didn't know whether you where conscious but just wanted to have time to yourself or something."  
Hermione narrowed her eyebrows,  
"When you say, 'today' what do you mean? How long have I been up there for?"  
Ginny's eyes widened slightly,   
"You don't know? It's been three days since you arrived back here in Sirius' arms."  
"Three days?!" Hermione shook her head in disbelief.  
_So that's how so much of the pain has gone._ She thought to herself.  
Ginny nodded, and then looked nervous, she glanced down and then back up again and Hermione noticed her wringing her hands. She spoke quietly.  
"Hermione? Please tell me. How did you escape?" Hermione nodded, she had been expecting this.  
"how much did Dumbledore tell you?"  
"Hardly anything, he sat us down, told us that you had gone on an almost-suicidal mission but if you succeeded the benefits would be great."  
"He was right." Hermione said without thinking, glancing at Sirius. She smiled and looked down. "Just before last school year term ended I took a few books out of the library for a bit of home reading. I found '50 ways of setting a house elf free." in the right hand corner under a load of cobwebbed covered books. However, when I picked it up there was a small, scrappy old book with something scribbled on the front."  
Hermione scanned the room for a pen, then scribbled something on the back of Ginny's hand.

_'Il profeta'_

Hermione began her tale again at Ginny's bemused face,  
"It means, 'prophecies' in Spanish. Anyway, I was intrigued so I took it out along with my others. When I got home, I opened it up to find it was all handwritten. The pages were worn and the book was surprisingly heavy for one so small. I spent about a week just translating the words so I could read it. One night, I translated a part which nearly made my heart stop, it read:

" The pain and torment that I felt in there was unbearable. I cannot state the term, 'every day', as time had dissolved and seeped through the walls which we were entrapped in. My soul was wrenched out of my body, they stole it, its what they do. I wasn't breathing, I was even denied that. Nausea was there with me constantly, there was nothing, just agony, torture and suffering.  
Then suddenly, light was lifted into my aching existence, she rescued me, she had remembered me after so long. She had come through the veil. Yet they did not claim her soul as they did mine, she fought it, she shone like an immense candle in the midst of black. she told me she had found our prophecy, she knew she could rescue me because she had heard the prophecy tell her so."  
Anyway, I didn't read anymore just yet, I jumped up. I knew this person had been into the same place Sirius was, I knew it! And this person had escaped! This was the moment where I was involved. One way or another. I had to know Sirius' prophecy. I had to save him."


	7. laid down to sleep

"So who wrote it then? -The diary." Ginny asked desperately.  
Hermione shrugged,  
"I had no idea, but after calming down I knew it was vital to continue translating. I got to another part which made me run to my calendar,  
'After witnessing all I had in that dastardly place, seeing her collapse was the worst. She seemed to think she had lost everything; she fell down and just sobbed to herself. She would not let me hold or console her. When asked upon the subject, she tried to explain between sobs that she had just realized we had no means of calculating time, which meant it was more than likely we could never escape. She stated that if after a year of being engulfed by the veil the person had not returned. They never could.'  
"I desperately jumped up to my calendar to work out how long Sirius had been there for. It had only been a couple of months, but I knew everything I had to do would take an age. I quickly sent an owl to Dumbledore explaining everything-"  
Mrs. Weasley's voice suddenly interrupted Hermione,  
"What are you two talking to rapturously about? Come, join in! I haven't seen you in so long Hermione!"  
Hermione smiled and looked to Ginny's concentrated face.  
"This probably isn't the time." She laughed, "I'll fill you in soon I promise." And with that Hermione reached over and kissed Ginny on the cheek whilst embracing her. Ginny got up to her feet and offered her hands to pull Hermione up as everyone else got seated at the table. Ginny went to grab a seat before they all went and Hermione seized her chance to turn away. She brought her hand up t her face and gently touched her cut; she flinched as her finger lightly brushed her skin and felt the deep incision she seemed to have won as her war-trophy. She swallowed and tried in vain to pull her hair over her face, knowing that it would just fall back again.  
Shaking the scar out of mind she turned to the table with a smile. The table was crammed full to the brim. Ginny, Harry and Fred all seemed to be crammed onto just two chairs, there was a spare one but it was obviously reserved for the cook, (Molly). Hermione's eyes automatically found Sirius and without hesitation she walked over to him. He pulled her onto his lap almost subconsciously as she helped herself to a mini-cocktail sausage that Molly had previously lay down.  
"Let's here it for our returned loved-ones then!" Remus Lupin shouted, and everyone roared in agreement, lifting their glasses high in the air. Happiness drifted in and out of everyone there, the warm blanket of joy wrapped around them all, keeping them warm after such a long time of cold.  
Hermione raised her glass of wine to Sirius before drinking, he raised it back with a smile and they chinked the edge together.

After a long and celebration-crammed night Hermione sauntered back up to her room. Sirius was still downstairs drinking with Lupin and Mr. Weasley. Ginny had wanted to come upstairs with her and hear the rest of her tale, however Hermione had politely told her she was very tired and wished to sleep. Ginny was disappointed, but Hermione didn't really feel like re-living through what she done after such a perfect night of celebrations.  
After closing the door behind her she searched her suitcase for the pajamas Molly had informed her she had put in there. Hermione spotted some baggy, cotton, light blue ones; she promptly changed into them and went to the bathroom to clean her teeth and face.  
As she was drying her face she heard the bedroom door open. Poking her head round the bathroom door she breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Sirius close the door behind him.  
"I thought you would be down there longer that that." Hermione said as she wondered over to the laundry basket to place her towel there.  
Sirius turned at the sound of her voice and took in her blue pajamas.  
Smiling, he spoke,  
"I saw you leave. Didn't know if you wanted to be alone or not. So I thought I'd come up, and if you chucked me out then I would gather you wanted to be alone."  
"Well. I might, you know, just chuck you out anyway." Hermione joked.  
"Oh yeah?"  
"yeah"  
"Oh yeah?"  
"Yeeah.  
"Oh yeah?"  
"OK Sirius, jokes over." Hermione said with her eyebrows raised.  
"Right that's it." Sirius said shaking his head and walking toward Hermione, "there's nothing else for it. I'm afraid-" He took more steps toward her, Hermione started to smile and back away, "I'm going to have to-" Sirius suddenly darted forward and hooked his arms underneath her legs, he picked a laughing and screaming Hermione up over his shoulder and strode over to her bed.  
"Put me down you big bully!" She laughed.  
"Whatever you say Miss." Sirius swung her over his shoulder and she landed with a 'plunk' on her back on her bed.  
He lay down beside her on his side, leaning on his elbow. She stopped laughing and smiled at him.  
"That taught you a lesson anyway." He said manner-of-factly.  
"You're just a big kid aren't you?" Hermione said, whilst brushing a piece of his hair from his eyes and hooking it behind his ears.  
"Only when I'm around you. You are a bad influence."  
"Me? 'Little Miss know it all' is a bad influence to one of the infamous marauders?!" Hermione asked disbelievingly. She lay her head down on her pillow so she was still facing him and closed her eyes.  
"Night Hermione." Sirius whispered after a moment and began to sit up, however he felt a hand on his arm and looked back to see Hermione, eyes open, looking him in the eyes.  
"Lie with me, please."  
Sirius nodded and smiled slightly, he lay himself down on his side once more, this time with him head beside Hermione's on the pillow. He reached over with his uncovered arm and laid it across Hermione's waist.  
"Night." He whispered once more, and closed his eyes with his head beside her's.


	8. second awakening

"Heeeeeeeeeey, not fair." Hermione moaned in her sleepy state, she turned onto her side and tried to curl up to return to slumber, but it was no use, she was just too cold and uncomfortable without her duvet. She let out an annoyed yet amused sigh and sat up.

"Fine. You win." She stated to Sirius, who was currently standing at the end of her bed, holding her duvet after whipping it from her. He gave her one of his rugged smiles and chucked the duvet at the bottom of the bed,

"Good, 'cause your tea's going cold." He said, indicating to her bedside table, which had a large mug on it, brimming with hot liquid.

Hermione looked amazed as she propped herself against the bed stand,

"You made me tea?"

Sirius replied with merely a glance, he raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly,

"_Molly_ made you tea."

Smiling, Hermione shrugged and took a sip whilst Sirius sat down on the edge of her bed and began to tie his boot laces. Hermione eyed his faded dark jeans and scruffy blue shirt,

"Are you going out?" She asked, curiously.

"Yeah, I need to go into Diagon alley to get a few things. I can't believe we've been here four days already, I've got so much to sort out." Sirius replied, finishing his boots then turning to Hermione.

"I'm taking Harry. Ron and Ginny missed you at breakfast, I told them you were busy snoring up here but they didn't care- they just _insisted_ that I come and wake you."

"Hey I do_ not_ Snore!" Hermione laughed, "But I know what you mean, I must have missed an enormous mount of school work, I've been trying not think about it else the worries will invade my dreams." Hermione said, biting her lower lip.

Sirius stood up grinning,

"Honestly Hermione, you must be the one human being who has seen the terrible sights behind the veil, and now has nightmares about _schoolwork._"

"I thought you were going!" She declared, swinging her legs round her bed and shuffling into her slippers.

"Sure am. " He said, heading for the door, he brought his hand up to his chin and felt his nearly-becoming beard. "I really should have shaved today." He said, almost to himself. Hermione ignored him but shuffled along to the bathroom, clutching her cup of tea.

"Sirius, Harry will be waiting for you, no one is going to mind the state of your beard but they will mind if you don't turn up for another ten minutes." She said pointedly.

Sirius grinned,

"As usual Hermione, your logic astounds me. I will be back later." He said, opening the door to leave.

"Oh Sirius! "Hermione suddenly said, making Sirius turn from the door, "Don't get into any trouble will you"?


	9. Prophecys

Walking down the stairs still dressed in her dressing gown, Hermione shuffled into the kitchen with her empty mug, Molly was sitting at the table next to Ginny, with a piece of parchment in front of them.  
"Morning." Hermione said before letting out a yawn.  
"Someone's tired this morning." Molly said, chuckling.  
Hermione smiled,  
"Sirius stole the cover off me that's why. Do you mind if I help myself to some toast?"  
Molly's eye's widened and eyebrows went automatically up,  
"He stole the cover from you!" She asked, shocked.  
Nodding slowly Hermione began to realise what she had said,  
"Oh no! Not like _that_! This morning, he got from _his_ bed and took _my_ cover from me!" She quickly recovered.  
Molly merely smiled weakly and got up from the table,  
"I'm afraid you will have to finish it on your own now Ginny dear, Oh and of course Hermione, you can help yourself to the bread." She gave Hermione a sincere smile before walking through the kitchen door.  
Whilst waiting for the toast to pop up Hermione walked round to Ginny and peered over her shoulder,  
"Oooh, your doing charms homework, you're so lucky! I'm quite obviously going to fail this year now I've missed so much work."  
Ginny scoffed, "Never say 'Homework' and 'Lucky' in the same sentence again Hermione. Anyway you haven't even missed that much, only about a month or so. Dumbledore has let me, Ron and Harry off school since your return and I'm loving it!"  
Hermione frowned,  
"Well as long as my return isn't causing a detrimental effect on your schoolwork."  
Ginny look up at her, puzzled,  
"Then what? You wouldn't have returned?"  
Hermione smiled,  
"Since when did you become so literal?"  
"Since Harry. I think he wanted a replacement female friend. And I was it." Ginny replied casually, returning to her homework.  
"Replacing me so quick? Hmm, were you up when he left with Sirius?"  
Ginny nodded slowly, then quickly turned around when she heard a door shut upstairs.  
"Will you complete your story now?" She suddenly asked. Hermione was taken aback, then Ginny smiled and added,  
"Mum told me I couldn't ask you, so I was waiting for her to go upstairs to clean out the spare room so I can ask. Please tell me Hermione! What happened after you went to Dumbledore?"

Hermione looked down and took a deep breath in, she could not blame Ginny for being curious, but still felt strange about reliving all the events that had passed by. After a quick glance at Ginny's pleading face, she sighed and began to speak.

"Within two hours of sending the owl I heard a knock at my bedroom door, Dumbledore was standing there, with my bemused parents standing either side. He told me straight away that we must get to the ministry of magic to uncover Sirius' prophecy, I readily agreed and told my parents I would explain everything on my return.  
Dumbledore instantly transformed one of my books into a portkey and within seconds we were standing in the ministry of magic. Your dad was there, I think he had authorized the portkey from the inside. Anyway, he led us down through to the restricted area, the exact way we had come before to Sirius' death. But this time it did not take us long to get to the room. Dumbledore knew exactly where we were going, and we managed to enter the room within minutes. Everything was the same, the rows beyond rows of prophecies, each with their own name and story to tell. It chilled me down to the bone being there again, the candles offering no warmth. I followed Dumbledore through the corridors of glistening orbs until he stopped at a particular isle, nodding for me to go forward. I cautiously stepped through and began to score the isles for a name.  
Then I saw It.  
_Sirius Black and Hermione Granger"_


	10. A Phantom's whisper

"I glanced nervously to Dumbledore, hoping for some kind of explanation. The silence of the room seem to echo from every isle, I ached for some kind of sound to shatter the stillness but none came, even the blue burning candles did not crackle nor flicker. Nervously I brought my hand up to the softly glowing sphere, my mind flickering back to when I was watching Harry do the exact same thing only months ago, my fingers closed around the warm orb as I gently removed it from the shelf.  
It glowed delicately in my hands as I ran my fingers over its smooth surface.  
"I was wondering how we were going to take Sirius' prophecy from the shelf" I whispered, more to myself than Dumbledore, eyes still hypnotized by the enchanting orb.  
"Are you sure you want to know the prophecy?" Dumbledore asked me softly.  
I nodded without thinking, like something else was in control. Then, as if I had a shock sent through my body, I realized what was happening.  
"Not here though, let's go." I spoke, taking off my jacket and wrapping the orb in it. I was freezing, but it didn't seem to matter. Dumbledore once again led the way through the ministry until we reached the exit."

"Dumbledore suggested we go here, to Grimmuald place, he knew nobody but the order would be here, so we decided it would be a safe bet. This time we traveled by floo powder via one of the ministry's fires in the hallway. We came through the fire from the living room, although it was very much dead. The place looked as though no one had touched in it years, let alone months, even Dumbledore seemed surprised that none of the order had been here since Sirius' death.  
"The only light was coming from the fire; the room was small and desolate, with only an old table in the center. I brushed down a cold chair and carefully sat down, still tenderly holding the sphere. Dumbledore followed my movements and waited patiently as I delicately unwrapped the orb from my jacket. It lay on the table, perfectly still, casting a dim blue light on the wood beneath it, just waiting to tell its secrets.  
"If you want me to leave?" Dumbledore asked humbly, I quickly shook my head and swallowed,  
"No, please stay. How do you...?" I asked, not finding the words to complete my sentence but indicating down towards the orb.  
"Place your hands on the top, close your eyes and announce with all honesty that you are Hermione Granger and you wish to view the prophecy." Dumbledore said softly.

Taking a deep breath in I reached out my hands, they looked pale strange basked in the orb's glow. I clasped them around the orb and closed my eyes.  
"I am Hermione Granger and I wish to see mine and Sirius' prophecy, please." I spoke strongly, even though inside I was trembling with what I might find.  
Suddenly the sphere began to move in my hands, I quickly brought them up as the top of the sphere spiraled upwards to release a pearly white phantom."  
"It was a young woman dressed in what looked like ancient robes, here eyes were closed and her hair gently flickering backwards, as though there was a breeze blowing directly at her. Her spectre cast a white light around the room and I looked on, amazed as she opened her mouth to speak.  
" Her voice was empty, no- not empty, just ... Not full. She spoke in a harsh whisper, prolonging her words as though she were forcing the last of the life to come out of her.  
_  
__ "Sirius Black will be defeated by the powers of the dark lord...Swallowed by the blanket of demise... One will save him...She will take with her the light of Ohallow into the place of doom... one born with magic in her own right, without rivalries...friend to the dark lord's hate... Only she will enter into the veil alive in soul..."_

I stared as the woman seeped back into the orb, which then spiraled back into the perfect sphere it once was. The glowing light left the room, and I was left sitting, in complete amazement of what had just been spoken.


	11. Step into the world

Hermione looked up to notice Ginny biting her bottom lip, eyes wide, entranced with the story,  
"But that could have been anyone, couldn't it?" She asked.  
Hermione chuckled slightly,  
"That's what I thought, but Dumbledore explained that I was _'born with magic in my own right'_ because I am muggle born, my parents did not pass magic down to me. I was also born without rivalries as I am an only child. And, the biggest clue to them all, I am one of Harry's closest freinds, _'freind to the Dark Lord's hate'_. I had already set the prophecy in motion by discovering that Sirius could be saved."  
At this moment the door opened, revealing a very curious looking Ron, who poked his head round the door with an inquisitive look upon his face,  
"What are you two so secretively talking about?"  
He asked, walking towards them.  
Hermione smiled, seeing this as a good opportunity to stop her tale for now.  
"Nothing that concerns you." She said cheerfully, "Anyway, no one has told me of anything, _they_ got up to while I was away. Come on, what have I missed at Hogwarts?"   
Ron and Ginny looked at each other, smirking,  
"Trust me Hermione, you havn't missed anything, we went to Hogwarts without you, then came back here for Christmas to be at the order's base at all times, for dad and everything. We kept asking about where you had gone but no one would tell us anything, I don't think anyone even knew apart from Dumbledore. Then suddenly you turn up with Sirius, someone we all knew to be dead for nearly half a year, alive and well, not really kicking but alive all the same. And thats about it."  
Hermione nodded,  
"I bet I need so many new school books for this year, I got my list but didn't have time to buy them. anyone want to come with me to Diagon alley?"

Ron nodded,  
"Yeah, I need some new stuff and mum promised she'd buy me something for my OWL results anyway."  
Hermione smiled and looked to Ginny,  
"Nah not for me Herm, I've got to finish this off anyway." She said, indictaing to her parchment on the table, looking slightly crestfallen at Hermione's discontinuation of her tale.  
Hermione nodded,  
"Looks like it's just you and me then." She said to Ron, "Just let me get dressed and I'll meet you down here in about ten minutes." And with that she placed her toast plate in the basin and headed upstairs.  
Fifteen minutes later Hermione reappeared in the living room and sat down nervously waiting for Ron. She was fully aware that this would be her first time she was going out after her ordeal with Sirius, and kept trying to smooth down her hair even though she knew it would not stay. Whilst waiting for Ron, she decided to distract her mind by lighting the fire for which they would travel via floo powder in.  
Ron finally arrived a couple of minutes later dressed in baggy jeans and a stained T-shirt,  
"Right lets go then," he said casually, stuffing some money into his pockets,  
"I managed to get a bit from mum, she's been in a good mood ever since you two came back. He said with a smile, Hermione returned it before throwing some floo powder into the fire and clearly stating her destination.

Brushing herself down after stepping into Diagon alley she turned to see Ron emerging from the fire place behind her. She cast her eyes around the busy bustling streets surrounding her, they felt so surreal after all that she had seen, that life was continuing to go on, that these people at this moment had no other worries than how to haggle the prices of 'that cauldron' down. As these thoughts whirled around her head she felt for a moment light headed, but managed to shake the feeling off as she heard Ron's voice,  
"So, where would you like to go first?" He asked, surveying the area.  
Hermione took a deep breath in and immediately thought of her school work,  
"Oh Ron, you already have your Hogwarts things don't you? In that case we better divide and then meet back up later; I don't want to drag you round all the school shops again."  
"I was getting worried about that. Thanks Herm, you sure your going to be alright on your own?" He asked, casting a subconscious look toward her cheek.

Hermione nodded, "I don't know if you've forgotten but I have faced worse things than a crowded street." She laughed, then added, "Ill meet you back at the Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream parlour, then, if we have any money left we can get our last few things together."   
:Ron nodded, "Sounds like a plan, I'll walk you to your first shop."  
: Hermione led the way through the hordes of people and finally arrived at the entrance to Flourish and Blotts where she said goodbye to Ron and watched him sail through the crowds and turn into the next street.  
: Two bags of books later Hermione emerged from the shop and started to head toward Madam Malkin's, she turned from the street and found her bags seemed to be getting heavier by the minute. She looked around to try and gather her bearings but that strange light headed feeling began to return as she saw the swarms of people around her, none of them noticing her standing there. As she glanced around her flashes of her past seemed to haunt her mind, one of standing before the whispering veil, one of violence, a flash of pain. Her breathing began to quicken until the noise of the outside faded and all she could hear was her own breathing. With her eyes whizzing around her but not being able to distinguish anything but the crowds of people she felt herself stumble backwards. Wishing for a familiar face to emerge the image before her face blurred and she lulled backwards, feeling herself fall slowly as the flashes took hold and the world went black.


	12. Never speak to strangers

Hermione felt consciousness sweep over her and blinked open her eyes. She was shocked to see a man's upside-down face before her so she opened her mouth to speak, although he seemed to get there before her,  
"Are you ok?" His soothing voice sounded.  
Glancing around, Hermione realised she was still in the middle of the street, bags laid open on the ground. She was nearly lying on the floor, yet her arms were held by this stranger behind her. She looked up at the face staring down at her, immediately noticing his bright blue eyes looking into her own.  
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine I think." Hermione said slowly, trying to stand up at the same time, the stranger used his arms to lift her to her feet and began to help her collect her things.  
Hermione crouched down and started to place her books back into the bag,  
"Aren't you going to tell me what happened?" She asked inquiringly. The stranger looked up and Hermione saw his face properly for the first time. He had quite fair skin with piercing blue eyes, his thick blonde hair sweeping across his forehead. Taking in all this, Hermione came to the conclusion that he must be around her own age.  
The stranger smiled,  
"Well, I was just happily walking down the street when this dark haired beauty seemed to collapse in my arms. Hey, you into divination?" He asked, reading the title, 'Prophecys:how to tell the fake from the fluent' from the book he had just picked up.  
Hermione narrowed her eyebrows,  
"No, its actually the only subject i despise." She muttered, packing the last book into her bag and standing up. The man followed her actions, stood up and passed her the bag he had packed up.  
"Don't worry about the thank you, honestly, it's Ok." He said with a smile on his lips.  
Hermione raised her eyebrows,  
"I also despise sarcasm."  
"I'm sure we would get along just fine then." He said, still with a grin on his face.  
Hermione took a breath in,  
"Thank you for helping me, but I've really got to go." She said dismissively.  
The man nodded,  
"I totally understand, there must be at least three more bookshops you need to buy in Diagon alley alone. You know, you would think at least one of those books would teach you how to smile."  
Hermione opened her mouth in shock,  
"Would you be smiling if you had just fainted in the middle of a street?"  
"Ah, touché. I'm Alamon by the way." He said, holding his hand out. Hermione took it,  
"Hermione."  
The man raised his eyebrows,   
"Her-what-now? And I thought I was unlucky."  
Hermione took her hand away,  
"I've known you for no more than five minutes and you have already catapulted me with insults."  
Alamon grinned once more,  
"It's a good job that we are only strangers bumping into each other in the street then."

Hermione nodded, refusing to lose her composure.  
"Couldn't agree more. This way I need not put up with your insults."  
"And I don't have to learn how to pronounce your name. Sounds perfect."

"It does. Now, goodbye Alamon." Hermione said, smiling politely.  
Alamon nodded,  
"Hope to not see you again soon." And with that the two walked away from each other in opposite directions.

Hermione took large strides through the street, often having to stop to control the volume of her mutterings. That grin of Alamon's was fixed in her head regardless of how much she tryed to put it out of her mind. She had acquired another bag of shopping, this time of robes from Madame Malkins, yet as she looked down at her bags all she heard was Alamaon's echoing words,  
'There must be at least three more bookshops you need to buy in Diagon alley alone.'  
Letting out an annoyed breath Hermione shook her head and tried to continue walking without thinking about that insufferable man. She soon reached Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream parlour and her eyes automatically scanned for Ron's red hair. She spotted what looked like Ron from where she was standing, yet he wasn't alone. As she continued to walk up to where they were sitting outside she realised he was sitting with none other than Harry and Sirius.  
"Hey." Sirius' warm voice and grin greeted her, "We saved you a seat." He inclined his head to the empty white chair beside him.

"Thanks." Hermione replied, sitting herself down beside him and Ron.  
"Hey, what you buy Herm?" Ron asked, reaching down to pick up one of her bags. Hermione quickly turned her head and grabbed the bag back,   
"leave it." she snapped. A shocked yet hurt expression flickered over Ron's face,  
"Oh, sorry." he said quietly. Hermione felt a pang of guilt looking at his forlorn face and reached out her hand to his arm,  
"I'm sorry Ron, I'm just a bit rattled about something someone said. I'll buy you an ice cream to make for it Ok?"  
Ron nodded ad Hermione glanced around at Harry and Sirius,  
"In fact, seeing as you all have waited for me to get here before you ordered, I'll get you all one. What does everyone want?" she asked, standing up.  
"Ron and I will have the giant chocolate sensation to share please- we decided earlier." Harry stated, then looked to Sirius.  
"I'll come with you to order, I need to see how the mood strikes me." He said earnestly, getting up from his chair. Hermione couldn't help rolling her eyes playfully and proceeding inside the parlour, her spirits considerably lighter


End file.
